Police ranks and insignia of India

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A display of the various ranks of the Indian police and their respective uniform at the National Police Memorial and Museum, New Delhi.

Gazetted officers include all the

Deputy Superintendent of Police
. All are arranged in a hierarchical order.

Ranks of law enforcement in India

The ranks, posts, and designations of all police officers vary from state to state as law and order is a

state matter. But, generally the following pattern is observed:[1][2][3]

Gazetted officers
Indian Police Service gazetted officers rank insignia[4][5][6]
Insignia
Rank
Director General of Police
Additional Director General of Police[a]
Inspector General of Police
Deputy Inspector General of Police
 Senior Superintendent of Police[b] Superintendent of Police
Additional superintendent of police
Assistant Superintendent of Police
Assistant Superintendent of Police
(Probationary for two years)
Assistant Superintendent of Police
(Probationary for one year)
Abbreviation DGP ADGP IGP DIG SSP SP Addl. SP ASP ASP ASP
  • Note 1: The equivalent rank to the three-star ASP in
    deputy superintendent of police
    (DSP/DySP), which is not a gazetted rank and contains the respective state police service's acronym in insignia, such as OPS for Odisha Police Service.
  • Note 2:
    Mangaluru, Jalandhar, Warangal
    etc.


Indian State Police Gazetted Officer Rank Insignia[7]
Insignia
Rank Superintendent of Police
Additional Superintendent of Police
Deputy Superintendent of Police
Abbreviation SP Addl.SP DSP/Dy.SP
  • Note: Gazetted officers belonging to Indian State Police Service(s) lie between ranks DSP and SP.
  • Officers usually undergo training at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy are awarded IPS to attain Assistant SP rank (1 year of service) but this varies from state to state.

Non-gazetted officers

Indian Police non-gazetted officers rank insignia[8][9]
Insignia No insignia
Rank Inspector Assistant inspector[c] Sub-inspector Assistant sub-inspector Head constable[d] Police Naik[e] Police constable
Abbreviation INSP/PI API SI ASI HC SC PC
  • Note: Colour pattern and size of chevrons may vary according to the different rules of several distinct Indian State Police services.


Organisational structure and roles

Overview

Law enforcement in India is a state matter. Hence, policing structure varies from state to state. But there is a general structure observed.

Flags (top photo) & Stars (bottom photo) on official cars of senior IPS officers, as per their rank.

Ministry of Home Affairs

The

Secretary to Government of India. The ministry has jurisdiction over the seven Central Armed Police Forces
. The state home ministry has charge of the IPS officers in its state.

The Indian Police Service is not a law enforcement organisation, but a professional body of police officers. Police officers may enter the IPS by two different routes:

  • Regular recruits. IPS candidates may apply at the central level by taking the national exam administered by the
    Deputy Superintendent of Police
    and sent to the cadre which is allotted to them after training in the academy.
  • State-level selection. Candidates may take a state-level examination for State Police Service (SPS) gazetted officers; examinations are administered by the individual State Public Service Commissions. Successful candidates are gazetted with the rank of
    SP
    normally gets less salary than his/her SPS counterpart.

State's Home Department

The Home Department of each respective state is primarily tasked with policy and administration related to law and order, police, internal security, prisons, and prosecution, among other responsibilities. The department is headed by an

Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary
to the Government. It oversees the maintenance of law and order, the prevention and control of crime, the prosecution of criminals, and also deals with fire services and prison administration. The state police forces function under this department, playing a vital role in enforcing laws, ensuring public safety, and maintaining order within the state's jurisdiction.

State police forces and their structure

Each state police force is headed by an IPS officer in the rank of

Inspector General of Police
.

Commissionerates generally encompass major cities that are so designated, such as

Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad etc. Each commissionerate has its own individual police force headed by an IPS officer with the designation of Commissioner of Police (CP). The Commissioner of Police may be of the rank of Additional DGP, ADGP or IGP but can also be in the rank of DIGP. The Commissioner of Police is empowered with the powers of an executive magistrate and functions as such. The Commissioner of Police is assisted by one to several Joint Commissioners of Police, who usually hold the rank of IGP (or Deputy IGP).[14][11]
Each is in charge of a bureau (Law and Order, Crime, etc.), mirroring the organisation of the state police as a whole. Below the JCPs, the organisation is typically as follows:

The general organisation outside commissionerates is as follows:

  • Zone: Headed by an IPS officer in the rank of ADG or IG
  • Range: Headed by an IPS officer in the rank of IG or DIG
  • District: Headed by a Senior Superintendent or a Superintendent of Police (SP).
  • Area: Headed by a Superintendent of Police, generally having a lower grade pay than the district head if the district head is an SSP.
  • Sub Division: A sub division is headed by an officer of the rank of DSP or ASP. Which is called as SDPO (Sub Divisional Police Officer). In Uttarpradesh and Rajasthan, the officer incharge of a police Sub-division is known as
    Circle Officer
    (CO), and who has the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP).
    • Police Circle: In some states, such as Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, etc., there are a few circles within the sub-division. A police circle consists of two or more police stations. Typically, an Inspector takes charge of the Circle and is known as the Circle Inspector (CI).
  • Police station: Commanded by a non-gazetted police officer. In a city, an Inspector or Sub-inspector may be in charge of one police station. They are posted as Station house officer and Station Officer respectively. The Inspector or sub-inspector commands several sub-inspectors (SI) or assistant sub-inspector and other low-ranked officials.

However, District

District Magistrate, who is an IAS officer
.

Sub-inspectors (PSIs), the first police officers who may file a charge sheet, often command police stations in rural districts or police outposts or substations; in cities, they operate out of a police station and administer beats (chowkies). Sub-inspectors are assisted by assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), who may also be in charge of chowkies, under them are head constables (senior constables), who lead teams of constables.

See also

Notes

  1. additional DGP
    .
  2. ^ Also known as Superintendent of Police (Selection Grade)
  3. ^ This rank exists only in the Maharashtra Police.
  4. ^ Shoulder insignia rank only used in the Maharashtra Police.
  5. ^ This rank is also known as senior constable, constable grade-I, and exists only in some state police forces.

References

  1. ^ "Police Ranks" (PDF). Maharashtra Police. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 Feb 2024. Retrieved 14 Feb 2024.
  2. ^ "Governance of Andhra police". Kerala Police. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Police Ranks and Badges". Odisha Police. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Police Ranks and Badges". Odisha Police. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  5. ^ "Police Ranks" (PDF). Maharashtra Police. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  6. ^ "Governance of Kerala Police". Kerala Police. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  7. ^
  8. ^ "Police Ranks" (PDF). Maharashtra Police. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  9. ^ "Police Ranks and Badges". Odisha Police. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Home | Maharashtra State Police". www.mahapolice.gov.in.
  11. ^ a b c d Tamil Nadu Police
  12. ^ a b Bihar State Police
  13. ^ "Karnataka State Police". Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  14. ^ "Mumbai Police". mumbaipolice.maharashtra.gov.in.
  15. ^ "Pune Police". Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
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